Justin Bieber Destined For Outer Space

Singer Justin Bieber performs during the 2013 Billboard Music Awards on May 19.

Ethan Miller
/ Getty Images

Originally published on June 6, 2013 6:32 pm

Singer Justin Bieber is the latest celebrity to score a booking on Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo, destined for its first suborbital test flight sometime this year.

The Bieb and manager Scooter Braun join the likes of Ashton Kutcher, Leonardo DiCaprio and Angelina Jolie on the elite passenger list of those willing and able to pay $250,000 for a seat on Richard Branson's commercial space-flight venture.

Sir Richard tweeted the news Thursday:

Bieber's suggestion of a music video in space is novel, but not entirely original. As we reported last month, astronaut Chris Hadfield got there before him with a marvelous cover of David Bowie's classic (and thoroughly appropriate) "Space Oddity."

According to Virgin Galactic, Bieber is one of about 600 people who have put a (refundable) deposit on a seat, but the as-yet-operational SpaceShipTwo can carry only six passengers per flight, so there's no telling how long he might have to wait on the tarmac.